Method and means for controlling the movement of a tape



Sept. 8, 1931. w. T. smwsmp 2 2 METHOD AND MEANS FOR CONTROLLING THE MOVEMENT OF TAPE Filed March 11,1925

ATTORNEY Patented Sept. 8, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE WILFRED T. BIRDSALL, OF MONTCLAIR,. NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO TRANS-LUX DAYLIGHT PICTURE SCREEN CORPORATION, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE METHOD AND MEANS FOR CONTROLLING THE MOVEMENT OF A TAPE Application filed March 11, 1926. Serial No. 93,979.

This invention relates to a "novel and improved method and means whereby the movement of a tape may be read ly controlled by the amount of tape to which it 1s desired to impart the movement. The 1nvention finds utility in any situation where tape is movedby'means of a feeding dev ce, but it finds particular utility in con unctlon witha printing mechanism commonly called a ticker which is adapted to print upon and eject a tape.

An apparatus has been devised for projecting upon a screen the tape .from a ticker, but certain difficulties have arisen because of the fact that tape is ejected from a ticker with a jerky, intermittent movement, where as it is highly desirable to have the tape mov-- ing smoothly through the projection position from which the quotations are pro ected on to the screen This movement has been obtained by employing a tape-moving device to move the ta e through the projection position, which evice is provided with means giving it a high inertia. This result may attained by employing a flywheel or by using a high speed motor or an electric motor' having an armature of suflicient size to give the desired effect. The object is to develop a relatively large amount; of kinetic energy, whereby the starting and em ping of the tape will be done with agra ual acceleration or retardation and, therefore, the movement of the tape across the screenwill appear to be a relatively smo'oth and continuousone. y

According to my invention, I have provided means for starting and stopping the motor by the movement of the tape through the ticker, and this means in conjunction with the employment of a motor having a high inertia results in an arrangement by which the movement of the tape through the projectionposition is not only a relatively smooth an continuous one but also is controlled automatically.

Referring now to the drawings in which I have shown a selected embodiment of my invention;

Figure 1 is a plan view of acontrol device employed with my invention.

Figure 2 is a front elevation of the device shown in Figure 1.

Figure 3, is a diagram showing the relation of the various parts used inthe practice of my invention.

Referring now to the drawings and .part'icularly to Figure 3 the numeral 1 designates a ticker which may be of any well-. known type the details of which are not important so far as my invention is concerned. The ticker acts upon a tape 2 which may be stored upon a supply-reel 3 and fed through the ticker in the usual way. The ticker may be provided with the usual pulling rolls4 and With the usual type wheel 5 coacting with a printing device 6. The rolls 4 pull the tape 2 fromthe reel 3 and, after the printing device and type-wheel print a charactor on the tape, it is ejected from the ticker in a manner well-known in the art. The tape is then passed through the projection position exemplified by the transparent sup port 7;, The characters on the tape are pro jected upon the screen 8 by means of light providediro'm a lamp 9, which light passes through thecondenser 10, support 7, tape 2 and objective 11, and is then deflected to the screen 8 by a suitable deflecting means, such as a mirror 12 I prefer to move the tape through the projection position by means of feed rollers 13 and 14', between which the tape is passed. One of thcse rollers is driven through suitable gearing 15 by a motor 16. .This motor Y 1S referably one having a, high inertia and this fact I have indicated by showing the flywheel 17 mounted on the shaft of the motor. As stated above, however, this fly wheel may be dispensed with and the same effect achieved by'employing a high speed motor or one having an armature of a large mass.

Energy is supplied to the motor from a source of current indicated as the line 18 having therein a switch 19. One side 20 of, the line to the motor has installed therein the adjustable resistance 21 for a purpose .of the line is connected to the binding post 28 of the control and the same post may conveniently hold a spring contact 29 in position to be engaged by the contacts 26 upon rotation of the wheel. A conductor 30 connects the other side of. the motor with a binding post 31 upon the base of the machine and through the base of the wheel 25 and the contacts 26. The insulating material 27 is preferably cupped out as indicated so as to receive the roll 32 which is mounted upon anarm 33 acted upon by a spring 3i, so that the roll 32 releasably holds the wheel 25 in position where the contact finger 29 is out of engagement with any one of the contacts 26.

The tape from the reel 3 is threaded between the rolls 35 and 36, the roll 35 being mounted upon the shaftof the wheel 25. The roll 36 holds the tape 2 in engagement with the roll 35 by means of the spring 37.

In operation the ticker acts upon the tape in the usual manner. The tape is fed to the ticker by means of the rolls 4 and, after the characters are printed thereon, the tape is ejected from the ticker in the usual manner. It will be obvious that the tape in passing to the ticker will cause rotation of the wheel 25. When the ticker is not operating, the circuit to the motor 16 is opened but, as the ticker operates and causes rotation of the wheel 25, the motor circuit will beclosed every time that the wheel in its rotation causes a contact 26 to come into engagement with the contact finger 29. The circuit is then immediately reopened. The spacing of the contacts 26 is preferably such that the movement of the tape corresponding to one character printed thereon will turn the wheel 25 through an angle subtended by one contact and one insulating segment. Therefore, the circuit will be closed and opened a number of times corresponding to the number of characters printed upon the tape. By ad usting the resistance 21 it is possible to provide energy to the motor 16 in proportion to the amount of ta e which the ticker has ejected and in sufiicient amount to exactly take up the tape which has been ejected from the ticker. In any case the amount of energy is proportional to the amount of tape ejected from a ticker or to the number of characters printed thereby.

It is apparent that the motor and the mechanism driven by it are wholl independent of the operation of the tic er but will operate at such a speed that the kinetic energy of the rotating system is proportional to the amount of tape which it is desired to move through the projection position, this amount of tapebeing determined by the ticker, the acceleration or retardation being gradual in starting and stopping. Consequently, when considering any given period of time the travel of the tape through.

the projection position will not necessarily equal the travel of the tape through the ticker for the same period of time, nor will the average speeds be the same necessarily. The result is a change from the jerky and intermittent motion caused by the ticker to a relatively smooth and continuous one.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes in the construction illustrated and described may be made without departing from the scope of my invention and I therefore do not intend to limit myself except by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In combination, a ticker, a tape-moving device for feeding a tape ejected from said ticker through a projection field, an electric motor to operate said device, and means to supply energy to said motor in small increments and in proportion to the amount of the tape to be moved thereby.

2. In combination, a ticker, a tape-moving device for feeding a tape ejected from said ticker through a projection field,- an electric motor to operate said device and having a highIinertia, and means to supply energy to said motor in small increments and in proportion to the amount of tape to be moved thereby.

3. In combination, a ticker adapted to print and eject a tape, a device to move the tape away from the ticker as it is ejected therefrom and including an electric motor, a circuit including said motor, a wheel having a plurality of contacts on the periphery thereof and adapted to open and close said circuit, and means for rotating said wheel by movement of tape through said ticker.

4.. In combination, a ticker adapted to print and eject a tape, a device to move the tape away from the ticker as it is ejected therefrom and including an electric motor.

a circuit including said motor, a wheel having a plurality of contacts on the periphery thereof and adapted to open and close said circuit, means for rotating said wheel hr movement of tape through said ticker, and means to releasably hold said wheel in position to maintain said circuit open.

5. In combination, a ticker adapted to print and eject a tape, a device to move the tape away from the ticker as it is ejected therefrom and including an electric motor of high inertia, a circuit including said motor, a wheel having a plurality of contacts on the periphery thereof and adapted to open and close said circuit, and means for rotating said wheel by movement oftape through said ticker.

6. In combination, a ticker adapted to print and eject a tape, a device to move the tape away from the ticker as it is ejected therefrom and including an electric motor of high intertia, a circuit including said motor, a wheel having a plurality of contacts on'the periphery thereof and adapted to open and close said circuit, means for rotating said wheel by movement of tape through said ticker, and means to releasably hold said wheel in position to maintain said circuit open.

7. In combination, a ticker adapted to print and eject a tape, a device to move the tape awayfrom the ticker as it is ejected therefrom and including an electric motor, a circuit includin said motor, a Wheel having a plurality oi contacts on the periphery thereof and ada ted to open and close said circuit, means tbr rotating said wheel by movement of tape through said ticker, and an adjustable resistance in said circuit for the purpose set forth.

8. In combination, a ticker adapted to print and eject a tape, a device to move the tape away from the ticker as it is ejected therefrom and including an electric motor of high inertia, a circuit including said motor, a wheel having a plurality of contacts on the periphery thereof and adapted to open and close said circuit,means for rotating said wheel by movement of tape through said ticker, and an adjustable resistance in said circuit for the urpose set forth.

9. The method of controlling movement of a tape ejected from a ticker through projvection position, which comprises moving the tape by a device having a high inertia, and periodically supplying substantially equal increments of energy to said device in an amount proportionate to the amount of tape to be moved.

10. The method of controlling movement of a tape ejected from a ticker through projection position, which comprises moving the tape by a device having a high inertia, and

supplying energy to said device in small increment-s and in an amount proportionate to the amount of tape to be moved.

11. The method of controlling movement of a tape ejected from a ticker through projection position, which comprises moving the tape by a suitable device, and supplying energy to said device in small increments and in an amount proportionate to the amount of tape to be moved.

In testimony whereof, l have attire-ed my signature to this specification. 

